70 Kensington Appendix Appendix 6

appendix 6: transportation analysis

Kensington Appendix Appendix 6 71

Contents
. Overview of Transportation Initiatives and Plan Context 

. Transportation Plan Recommendations 

A. Travel Demand Management 
B. Transit Service 
C. Master Planned Street Network 
D. Bicycle and Pedestrian System 

. Transportation/Land Use Balance 

A. Measures of Effectiveness 
B. Policy Area Mobility Review 
C. Local Area Transportation Review (LATR) 
D. Cordon Line Analysis 
E. Travel Demand Forecasting Process and Assumptions 
F. Local Area Modeling Process and Assumptions 

Figures
Figure : Transportation Management Strategies 
Figure : Existing Bus Service 
Figure : Characteristics of Mixed-Use Transit-Oriented Development
Figure : Kensington Street Network 
Figure : Kensington Bike Network 
Figure
: Forecast () PAMR for Kensington Sector Plan 
Figure : Policy Area Mobility Review Table— 
Figure : Intersection Congestion Standards by Policy Area 
Figure : Intersection Analysis with Summit Avenue Extension 
Figure : Intersection Analysis with Summit Avenue Extension
and Dynamic Lane Assignment at Connecticut Avenue
Southbound to Eastbound Plyers Mill Road 
Figure : Sector Plan Cordon Line Traffic Volumes 
Figure : Draft Plan Trip Generation Comparison 

Figure : Travel Forecasting Network 

Figure : Local Area Model Peak Hour Trip Generation 
Figure : Kensington Policy Area Land Use Scenarios 

72 Kensington Appendix Appendix 6

. Overview of Transportation Initiatives and Plan Context

The public hearing draft of the Kensington Sector Plan proposes to move the Town from a primarily auto-
oriented suburban area to a more walkable, mixed-use community that takes full advantage of the existing
MARC station and the Town’s proximity to both segments of the Metrorail Red Line. This Appendix provides the
technical basis and details for the transportation system recommendations in the Kensington Sector Plan.

The Plan proposes several initiatives to promote connectivity, mobility, and access in a context that recognizes
the Town’s unique history, scale, location, and desire to redevelop in certain areas.

Examples of proposed initiatives include:

• lower target speeds on selected roadways
• buffers between the roadway and pedestrian and bicycle paths
• an effort to “fill-in” the grid and introduce operational enhancements instead of widening roads
• introduction of striping and lighting that focuses on pedestrian and bicyclist needs
• provision of additional ways for pedestrians to safely cross Connecticut Avenue and the railroad tracks, in
particular.

Since the early s, the balance between land use and transportation system recommendations in master
and sector plans has applied the procedures and general policies contained in the County’s Growth Policy.
The current Growth Policy applies an area wide measure of mobility, Policy Area Mobility Review (PAMR),
and a localized measure of congestion, Local Area Transportation Review (LATR). These measures, used to
define adequacy for development review cases, are adapted for master plan analysis through the Planning
Department’s TRAVEL/ regional travel demand model and Local Area Model as described in Chapter  of this
Appendix.

Land use and the transportation system are balanced to promote an end-state level of development that
provides the zoning density to support the redevelopment of Kensington in a way that is consistent with the
community’s goal of moving from an auto-oriented community to a more mixed-use community with improved
access to transit and more opportunities for residents and visitors to walk and bike instead of drive—a significant
challenge given the Town’s crossroads location.

This Appendix reviews two primary areas of focus related to the draft Plan:
• Chapter  describes the recommendations at a greater level of detail than described in the draft Plan.
• Chapter  provides additional detail on the technical analysis and demonstrates that the recommended end-
state conditions will result in an appropriate balance between land use and transportation.

Kensington Appendix Appendix 6 73

. Transportation Plan Recommendations
Figure  shows the range of transportation system strategies examined in the Kensington Sector Plan, including:
• travel demand management
• transit services
• sector plan street network
• bikeway network
• transportation system policies.
Figure  also indicates the likelihood that the Plan would incorporate the different strategies based on analyses
and coordination performed to date. The shaded cells indicate strategies with the highest overall potential. In
general, those strategies were incorporated into the Plan as described.

Figure : Transportation Management Strategies

Strategy Opportunities Constraints Potential
Increase
parking
management,
consolidate
Reduce traffic, provide Parking management authority
some parking
revenue, integrate with establishment, incentive High
into a single
Demand Management

private development coordination, garage location

centrally
located
structure

Reduce
single
Flexible, low capital
occupant Operational costs, monitoring Moderate
cost
vehicle
mode share
Construct
BRT or other Provide faster
Transit Services

enhanced connections for Capital costs, operational costs, and

Low
service Kensington with Metro right of way for full BRT option
through Plan Red Line Corridors
area
Express bus Capture long-distance
Operating cost Low
service riders
Provide alternate
Add selected Capital costs, definition of final
route, reduce walking
street alignment and implementation Moderate
distances, access
Local Street Network

connections responsibility
management
Requires grid, implementation of
Left turn connection of Summit Avenue,
Reduce congestion Moderate
prohibitions circuitous trips (cars and buses),
public acceptance
Moderate, but
Add turn Increase pedestrian crossing
Reduce congestion not
lanes distances, capital cost
recommended
Create mixed use
Increase
centers, provide housing
residential Economic and market feasibility High
near jobs, lower trip
uses
generation rates
Accept
Consistent with
Polices

higher
urbanizing area, no Customer costs, public acceptance Low
congestion
capital cost
levels

A. Travel Demand Management

Travel Demand Management (TDM) describes a wide range of programs and services designed to reduce the use
of single-occupant vehicle trips. TDM is the set of public policy strategies to provide travel options that reduce
and spread demand by travel destination, mode, route, and time of day to most efficiently use transportation
system infrastructure and resources. TDM strategies can be implemented by both public and private sector
activities.

74 Kensington Appendix Appendix 6

TDM strategies include:
• Infrastructure such as high quality pedestrian environments, bus or high occupancy vehicle (HOV) facilities or
preferential treatments, telework centers, commuter information stores/kiosks, car-sharing (i.e., Zipcar) and
bike-sharing stations, and well-located transit stations or stops with real-time transit information.

• Services such as transit information services, car/vanpools, ride-sharing/matching, guaranteed ride

home services, preferential parking, and alternative commute option information (e.g., the Metropolitan
Washington Council of Government Commuter Connections and their commuter connections website as
well as other private vendors).

• Policies that affect when and to what extent people use the infrastructure and services, including parking
supply management, preferential parking treatments for carpools/vanpools, transit subsidies, flexible work
schedules, tax incentives, congestion pricing, and distance-based or vehicle miles of travel pricing.

Kensington’s lack of a non-retail commercial job density makes applying some TDM strategies difficult. However,
one targeted opportunity for Kensington would be consolidating parking into one or two centrally located
structures to allow for more efficient use of scarce land in the town center that is close to transit. Actively
managing the spaces through price and timing controls ensures that equitable use can be preserved. Further, the
pricing aspect can be an effective tool to discourage solo travel by car during certain peak time periods.

The block bounded by Connecticut Avenue, Knowles Avenue, and Detrick Avenue would be appropriate and
suitable for consolidated parking, with the opportunity to line the parking structure on the east and south sides
with building space to be served by the parking.

Figure : Existing Bus Service

Kensington Appendix Appendix 6 75

B. Transit Service

Existing Bus Service

The Town of Kensington is served by six Ride On routes and two Metrobus routes. The Ride On routes are
generally designed to connect neighborhoods with nearby Metrorail and MARC stations while the Metrobus
service is focused on Connecticut Avenue.

During weekday peak periods, the frequency of service varies from  to  minutes for the Ride On routes and
 to  minutes for the Metrobus routes. The most frequent service (every  minutes) is provided by Ride On
Route  and is oriented toward White Flint in the morning—a  minute trip . In the afternoon peak period, the
most frequent service (every  to  minutes) is to Silver Spring—an  minute trip. Frequent service (every 
minutes) is also provided on Ride On Route  between Wheaton and Friendship Heights via Kensington and the
Medical Center and Bethesda Stations. A shorter version of this route could potentially provide an even better
connection to the Red Line (see discussion below).

Ride On Strategic Plan

The current Ride On Strategic Plan does not include any significant enhancements to service in the immediate
Kensington area. Veirs Mill Road (from Rockville to Wheaton) and University Boulevard (from Wheaton to
Langley Park) are identified as high priority corridors for implementing bus rapid transit (BRT) service.

Kensington is situated between the western and eastern segments of the Metrorail Red Line. In general, there
is, and will continue to be a need to provide transit through the area that connects the two segments of the Red
Line. It is closest to the Red Line stations where “turnbacks” take place—at Grosvenor and Silver Spring. In the
weekday peak periods, there is a higher level of service at these two stations and at stations to the south. As
for bus travel time, the closest stations are Wheaton on the eastern leg of the Red Line and either Grosvenor or
Medical Center on the western leg. Future Ride On route planning should consider the feasibility of operating
limited stop frequent (at least  minute) peak period service directly between Wheaton and (as an example)
Medical Center or Grosvenor via Kensington over the same (but shorter) alignment as Route  or Route
.

Staff considered the potential for BRT within the Plan area but does not believe it would offer any significant
advantage—especially given the potential impacts related to right-of-way constraints. The area is more suitable
for a streetcar application but any formal consideration of a potential streetcar should be subject to more
detailed analysis than can be implemented in this Plan.

MARC Commuter Rail Service Growth and Investment Plan (September )

MARC runs six weekday morning and eight afternoon trains that stop at the Kensington station. On an average
weekday, a total of  passengers board these trains at Kensington.

The MARC plan calls for expanding the parking lot at the Kensington station sometime around . A recent
MTA survey of the parking lot noted
 vehicles—
of which were registered to a Kensington address. The
survey showed eight vehicles registered in Silver Spring and six in Gaithersburg, and  elsewhere. There are
officially a total of  parking spaces at the Kensington MARC station so demand exceeds supply. Expanded
parking at other MARC stations might free up spaces for local commuters.

There is no question that the MARC station and planned enhancements to MARC service and facilities are key
components of an overall network that will help reduce the rate of travel by single-occupant vehicles and help
spur transit-oriented development. MARC and the Town should also work with CSX to provide a pedestrian
underpass at the train station as part of any improvement program. A continued visible commitment to
improving all aspects of the MARC infrastructure and service is critical to attaining the Town’s full redevelopment
potential.

76 Kensington Appendix Appendix 6

The Sector Plan should also recognize that the primary function of commuter rail service is to provide long
distance access to activity centers. As a result, MARC’s role in increasing non-auto mode share is more accurately
viewed as complementary to other non-auto modes and not the dominant non-auto mode. The most effective
way to increase transit mode share is to combine enhanced MARC service and infrastructure with improved
pedestrian and bicycle connectivity to all types of transit. Particular emphasis should be placed on providing
frequent direct bus access to Metrorail and the National Naval Medical Center /NIH complex.

While the Sector Plan does not recommend introducing BRT as a major component of the transportation system
within the Kensington Plan area, it should be noted that the County is currently initiating a County wide study
of the feasibility of a BRT network. One priority corridor for BRT design and technology is the Veirs Mill Road
corridor near the plan area. This Kensington Plan encourages the development of pedestrian, bicycle, and transit
facilities that improve the ability to connect with the BRT network.

Transit Supportive Density Considerations

There is a considerable amount of existing and evolving research on station area densities, pedestrian
accessibility and connectivity, transit mode share, and other issues related to transit-oriented development.
The Planning Department has reviewed available current material on this issue that includes Figure  as an
illustration of development in the CR Zone with FARs up to . proposed for the Kensington town center.

Figure : Characteristics of Mixed-Use Transit-Oriented Development

Source: Station Area Planning, Reconnecting America and the Center for Transit-Oriented Development,
February , page .

Kensington Appendix Appendix 6 77

The Plan envisions the Town Center as a denser more mixed use activity center than it is today. Floor area ratios
(FAR) ranging from . to . in the Town Center would encourage redevelopment and provide for a higher
degree of pedestrian access to both the MARC station and more frequent bus service. It will be important to
support the higher densities with improvements to pedestrian connectivity and access as well as enhancements
to the street grid that provide drivers with alternative routes for moving both within and through Kensington.

C. Master Planned Street Network

The Kensington Sector Plan recommends a street network that includes major highways, arterials, business
streets, and primary residential streets. Section - of the County Code defines the functional classification
system for roadways, including:

• A Major Highway is a road meant nearly exclusively for through movement of vehicles at a moderate speed.
Access must be primarily from grade-separated interchanges and at-grade intersections with public roads,
although driveway access is acceptable in urban and denser suburban settings [subject to approval by the
Maryland State Highway Administration, Engineering Access Permits Division].
• An Arterial is a road meant primarily for through movement of vehicles at a moderate speed, although some
access to abutting property is expected.
• A Business District Street is a road meant for circulation in commercial and mixed-use zones.
• A Primary Residential Street is a road meant primarily for circulation in residential zones, although some
through traffic is expected.

The proposed Kensington Sector Plan takes into consideration the County’s Road Code (Chapter ) developed
in 
and its design standards (Executive Regulation -) developed in  and . The design standards
provide context-sensitive solutions—street designs that reflect and complement the planned adjacent land uses
with standards appropriate for rural, suburban, and urban areas

The Town of Kensington, however, has jurisdiction over its own roadways independent of the County. This
Plan recommends roadway design based on the County standards for uniformity and continuity. It applies the
narrower urban cross sections and lower target speeds from the County’s Road Code, which are more consistent
with the context and town character of Kensington—both now and in the future.

The business street system is intended to be a slow-speed ( mile per hour target speed or lower) environment
consistent with other aspects of both the public and private realms designed to reinforce pedestrian scale and
connectivity. Particular emphasis should be placed on curb extensions at crosswalks to further reduce pedestrian
exposure to vehicular traffic and on pedestrian activated signals in appropriate mid-block locations that improve
connections to high density land uses and give priority to pedestrian safety and flow. As a rule, MCDOT does not
use mid-block pedestrian corssings, but they should be considered here.

78 Kensington Appendix Appendix 6

Figure : Kensington Street Network

The Plan’s key recommendations for the street network are summarized below.

Connecticut Avenue

Connecticut Avenue (MD ) is the primary north-south roadway in the Plan area. The average annual daily
traffic is around 
, vehicles. There are three travel lanes in each direction. Left turns lanes are provided at
each major intersection. South of the railroad tracks, the existing right-of-way varies between  and  feet.
North of the railroad tracks, the right-of-way is wider and varies between  and  feet.

Kensington Appendix Appendix 6 79

According to the  Highway Mobility Report, Connecticut Avenue’s intersection with Plyers Mill Road is the
fourth most congested intersection in the County with a critical lane volume (CLV) of , during the evening
peak hour. The CLV standard for the Kensington/Wheaton Policy Area is ,
, so the existing volume is 
percent of the standard. The congestion is due in large part to the heavy volume of northbound vehicles on
Connecticut Avenue during the evening peak hour. Virtually all northeast to southwest traffic (either within
or traveling through Kensington) must pass through this intersection. The lack of alternative routing creates a
chokepoint in the heart of the Town.

The Plan recommends that the congestion at the intersection be addressed by:
• enhancing the grid to provide north-south options and thereby disperse traffic
• studying (and introducing) signalization that will improve pedestrian and pedestrian access and mobility
• considering operational improvements such as dynamic lane assignment and expansion of turn prohibitions.

The LATR analysis conducted for the Kensington Sector Plan indicates a year  CLV for the Plan’s proposed
 land use of , at the intersection with Plyers Mill Road, if Summit Avenue were extended (as discussed
below) and improved to accommodate a dedicated left turn from Plyers Mill Road onto Connecticut Avenue
northbound. This resulting CLV is still above the existing LATR standard of ,
. The congestion would be worse
if Summit Avenue were not extended.

This congestion could be further mitigated with dynamic lane assignment during the weekday evening peak
hour. The staff’s initial review of the impact of converting the southbound through lane on Connecticut Avenue
to an eastbound left turn lane suggests than this operational improvement offers the potential to further reduce
the CLV to ,  or slightly above the current ,
 standard. This reduction is accomplished by reducing the
time for the southbound left turn phase from Connecticut Avenue to eastbound Plyers Mill Road and allocating
additional time to northbound Connecticut Avenue traffic.

Connecticut Avenue's intersection with Knowles Avenue is nearing the congested standard in the morning with
a CLV of ,. A similar morning peak hour CLV of , has been recorded for the intersection with University
Boulevard.

A December  Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) study generally confirmed these traffic
conditions while also noting:
• The primary traffic flow contributing to congestion is the eastbound lane via Knowles Avenue to northbound
Connecticut Avenue in the evening peak period.

• The intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Knowles Avenue operates at an acceptable level because of
the triple left turn lanes onto northbound Connecticut Avenue—and is one reason few drivers use Summit
Avenue to go northbound on Connecticut Avenue in the weekday evening peak hour.

• The limited left turn storage available on Plyers Mill Road (eastbound to northbound Connecticut Avenue),
along with the two lane railroad bridge on Summit Avenue causes additional traffic to use Knowles Avenue
to reach Connecticut Avenue and then travel northbound (in the evening) through the intersection of
Connecticut Avenue and Plyers Mills Road.

The Plan therefore recommends the following improvements to Connecticut Avenue.

• Provide a minimum -foot right-of-way to accommodate three travel lanes, on-road bike lanes, a planted
median where a dedicated storage for vehicles turning left from Connecticut Avenue isn’t needed, and
minimum five-foot wide landscape panels to separate the sidewalk from the travel/bike lane.

• Mitigate the congestion at Plyers Mill Road by extending Summit Avenue to Farragut Avenue (see discussion
below). A study of its feasibility and design would be required before implementation.

80 Kensington Appendix Appendix 6

• Examine the feasibility of introducing dynamic lane assignment at the intersection with Plyers Mill Road
through an SHA study.

• Provide a sidewalk along the west side of Connecticut Avenue south of Washington Street.
• Provide an eight-foot wide sidewalk on the east side of the Connecticut Avenue bridge over the CSX railroad
tracks and a -foot wide shared use path on the west side of the of the bridge.

• Provide an eight-foot wide shared use path along the west side of Connecticut Avenue between Perry
Avenue and Howard Avenue.

• Modify the lane striping along Connecticut Avenue, University Boulevard, and Summit Avenue to be
consistent with the Maryland Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Do not extend normal striping
through unsignalized intersections. Instead, use pavement marking that conveys the pedestrian’s right-of-
way to the driver. SHA should also identify appropriate locations for pedestrian actuated stop signals.

Section D includes other recommended bike and pedestrian facilties.

Summit Avenue Extended

The Plan recommends extending Summit Avenue as a Business District Street with a
-foot right-of-way and
two travel lanes from Plyers Mill Road to Connecticut Avenue—Alterntavie A via Farragut Avenue or LAterntiave
B via Dupont Avenue. Extending Summit Avenue is recommended to:

• provide an alternative to Connecticut Avenue for local or shorter trips thereby relieving congestion at the
intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Plyers Mill Road.

• further enhance vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle connections across the railroad tracks.

In addition to extending Summit Avenue, the following improvements are recommended:

• Provide eight-foot sidewalks on the Summit Avenue bridge when the bridge is reconstructed.

• Revise the lane striping along Summit Avenue to conform with the Maryland Manual on Uniform Traffic
Control Devices to better guide drivers at un-signalized intersections in urban areas.

• Designate Summit Avenue from Howard Avenue to Knowles Avenue as a Business District Street with a -
foot right-of-way.

The design, location, and operation of Summit Avenue’s ultimate connection with Connecticut Avenue (via
either Farragut Avenue or Dupont Avenue) will need to be studied before the improvement is programmed for
construction. The study should also examine any potential of, and impact upon, other adjacent streets (e.g.,
Concord Street and Metropolitan Avenue). The eventual extension of Summit Avenue should be viewed as
central to the overall effort to improve street connectivity.

Howard Avenue

West of Connecticut Avenue, the Plan designates Howard Avenue as a Business District Street with a
-foot
right-of-way with a design focus on pedestrian amenities to foster and complement the street activation that will
result from the higher densities and mixed uses—especially near Connecticut Avenue.

The crossing of Connecticut Avenue should be given particular priority. At a minimum, it should feature a wide,
well marked crosswalk. Consideration should also be given to a pedestrian activated crossing signal when
Howard Avenue is improved and redevelopment occurs in the area adjacent to and near the intersection with
Connecticut Avenue. The Plan also recommends an SHA signal warrant study.

Kensington Appendix Appendix 6 81

East of Connecticut Avenue, the plan designates Howard Street as a Business District Street with a -foot right-
of-way.

Lexington Street

The Plan recommends extending Lexington Street south to Metropolitan Avenue as a Business District Street
with a
-foot right-of-way. This section would be composed of one northbound-only travel lane intended to
provide an alternative for westbound traffic on Plyers Mill to avoid the Metropolitan Avenue intersection.

D. Bicycle and Pedestrian System

Bicycle-Pedestrian Priority Area

As part of the Action Plan of the County Executive’s  Pedestrian Safety Initiative, the Planning Department
agreed to consider designating areas as Bicycle-Pedestrian Priority Areas in master and sector plans. The
designation of such areas was permitted under State Law as part of the Access  legislation passed in .
No areas have yet been officially designated but both the proposed () Germantown Master Plan and White
Flint Sector Plan include such areas. Designation in Kensington would require the State to prioritize pedestrian
and bicycle improvements in the area. The State must agree with the designation.

Montgomery County recently made changes to the Road Code in an effort to make our roads more pedestrian-
and bicycle-friendly. The areas with the greatest concentration of pedestrians and bicyclists were designated
as Urban. The Road Code applies only to County-maintained roads; Kensington was not designated as Urban
because the Town and State maintain all the roads in the Town, which comprises most of the Sector Plan area.

Given the above, consideration of designating the Kensington Sector Plan area as a Bicycle Pedestrian Priority
Area would be consistent with the Plan recommendations as a means of ensuring that appropriate pedestrian
and bicycle accommodation is provided. Designation could provide a measure of consistency in an improved
environment for bicyclists and pedestrians in both the majority of the Sector Plan area that is in the Town, as
well as the small area outside the Town’s boundaries. Designation of the Sector Plan area as a Bicycle-Pedestrian
Priority Area would also support the Planning’s Board’s recommendations for bicycle-pedestrian improvements
when commenting on the Mandatory Referral of projects on State highways within this area.

General Observations

The Town of Kensington has two types of street grids. South of the railroad tracks is a curvilinear grid that has
good internal connections but fewer external connections. North of the tracks is a more standard rectangular
grid. Both provide generally good pedestrian and bicyclist circulation.

There are three other small areas in the Plan boundaries:

• an area that extends the grid to the north
• the Ken-Gar neighborhood, which has pedestrian connections to Plyers Mill Road, Perry Avenue, and Rock
Creek Trail
• the industrial area south of the tracks and west of Summit Avenue that has almost no cross streets.

The CSX tracks pose a significant barrier to pedestrian and bicyclist movement north and south. There are only
three connections between the north and south sections of the Town—Summit Avenue, Connecticut Avenue,
and the at-grade track crossing at Kensington Station. The first two are barely adequate; the at-grade track
crossings are hazardous. The nearest crossings of the tracks outside the Plan area are Rock Creek Trail, almost a
half-mile west of Summit Avenue, and Stoneybrook Drive, about / of a mile east.

82 Kensington Appendix Appendix 6

In addition to the physical problems associated with crossing the CSX tracks, pedestrian accommodation along
and across the major roads also needs improvement. A crosswalk was recently installed on Connecticut Avenue
at Washington Street between the bus stops following a fatal pedestrian collision. Pedestrians have the right-
of-way to cross at unsignalized intersections, i.e. drivers must stop for them, but the existing lane striping on
Connecticut Avenue, University Boulevard, and Summit Avenue extends through un-signalized intersections,
obscuring the intent of the law and adversely affecting pedestrian safety. This striping treatment is counter to
the guidance in the Maryland Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, which establishes national standards
for signing and striping.

Intersection widening should be minimized to avoid adverse impacts on pedestrians and bicyclists. Traffic
improvements should instead be achieved by adding to the grid network of streets and by creative operational
improvements such as dynamic lane signalization on Connecticut Avenue.

Sidewalks along the major roads are generally located at the curbline, which places pedestrians in an undesirable
location next to running traffic. In the two- to three-foot-wide area next to the curb, pedestrians can be struck
by overhanging rear-view mirrors. Also, snow plowed from these wide roads can block the entire sidewalk,
making it impassable for the handicapped and forcing pedestrians to walk in the roadway.

The bicycle network in Kensington, as recommended in the Countywide Bikeways Functional Master Plan
(CBFMP), is a network of signed shared bikeways on lower-speed residential streets.

SHA’s Bicycle Pedestrian Guidelines recommend bike lanes be provided on State highways with high speeds or
high volumes. The State highways within the Plan boundaries, with approximate annual average daily traffic
volumes (AADT) include:
• Connecticut Avenue (MD): 
, AADT
• University Boulevard (MD): , AADT
• Plyers Mill Road/Metropolitan Avenue (MD): , AADT
• Knowles Avenue (MD ): , AADT

HOwever, all of the State highways in Kensington are low-speed.

The traffic volumes on Connecticut Avenue and University Boulevard are high enough to warrant bike lanes, but
the CBFMP does not show bike routes on either road, except for a short segment of shared use path between
Plyers Mill Road and Howard Avenue on the east side of Connecticut Avenue. The existing curb-to-curb width on
Connecticut Avenue and University Boulevard is  to  feet and their recommended rights-of-way is  feet.
The difference between existing and the Sector-planned right-of-way is sufficient to provide on-road bike lanes
and landscaped panels with street trees to separate sidewalks from the curb.

Lighting

Section -
 of the Annotated Code of Maryland states “Access to and use of transportation facilities by
pedestrians and bicycle riders shall be considered and best engineering practices regarding the needs of bicycle
riders and pedestrians shall be employed in all phases of transportation planning, including highway design,
construction, reconstruction, and repair as well as expansion and improvement of transportation facilities.”

Best engineering practices includes the provision of continuous lighting along roadways, sidewalks, and bicycle
facilities in urban areas, such as Kensington.

Pedestrian Recommendations

Specific concepts consistent with the Plan recommendations for improving pedestrian connectivity include the
following.

Kensington Appendix Appendix 6 83

• Reconstruct sidewalks along major roads to have a five-foot-wide minimum landscaped panel with street
trees between the curb and sidewalk or shared use path.
• Provide a sidewalk along the west side of Connecticut Avenue south of Washington Street.
• Identify safe, ADA-compliant crossings for each bus stop and consider the installation of crosswalks.
• Evaluate the adequacy of street lighting at all intersections, particularly at bus stops at or near un-signalized
intersections.
• Revise the lane striping along Connecticut Avenue, University Boulevard, and Summit Avenue to be in
conformance with the Maryland Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, which recommends that a
different pattern be used in special cases where additional guidance is needed for drivers.
• Provide eight-foot-wide sidewalks on the Summit Avenue Bridge over the CSX tracks when the bridge is
reconstructed.
• Provide a pedestrian path along the southern boundary of the HOC headquarters to improve pedestrian
connectivity between Summit Avenue and Detrick Avenue because no other route exists along the east side
of Summit Avenue in the quarter-mile distance between Mitchell and Prospect Streets.
• Provide an eight-foot-wide sidewalk on the east side of the Connecticut Avenue Bridge over the CSX tracks
and a twelve-foot-wide shared use path on the west side of the bridge.
• Provide a twelve-foot-wide (minimum) grade-separated crossing under the tracks to the east of the existing
at-grade CSX track crossing at Kensington Station, generally in line with Wheatley Street.
• Make all intersections of Connecticut Avenue and University Boulevard with public streets ADA-compliant
and provide pedestrian refuges in the median where the crossing distance exceeds sixty feet. Provide
median pedestrian refuges at all intersections with divided roadways, including ‘T’ intersections. Where safe
crossings cannot be provided, post signs prohibiting the crossing and directing pedestrians to the nearest
safe crossing.
• The pedestrian crossing of the eastbound lanes of University Boulevard at Farragut Avenue is immediately
north of a driveway to a property which has another driveway on University  feet away. The northern
driveway should be closed improve the safety of this crosswalk and to allow its relocation about  feet
south to achieve a safer crossing of University Boulevard.
• Provide continuous lighting along the Major Highways and Arterials and at intersections to meet AASHTO
standards.

84 Kensington Appendix Appendix 6

Bicycle Recommendations

Figure  Kensington Bicycle Network

The bicycle and pedestrian system recommendations for Kensington will be implemented through a combination
of land use and zoning policies, local street network implementation, and pedestrian access and safety
improvements

Kensington Appendix Appendix 6 85

Pedestrian and Bicyclist Access and Safety

Pedestrian and bicyclist access and safety in the Kensington area will be pursued through several initiatives,
including:

• design standards to implement the County’s Road Code

• design guidelines for private sector development in the Plan area
• zoning requirements for bicycle parking and other amenities
• engineering, education, and enforcement programs under the County Executive’s Pedestrian Safety
Initiative.

In  , the County Council adopted several amendments to Chapter  of the County Code concerning streets
and roads to improve pedestrian and bicycle accommodation, stormwater management, and context-sensitive
design. In December , the Council approved Executive Regulation - AM, Context Sensitive Road Design
Standards, which specify certain design standards and processes for implementing the revised road construction
code, most notably typical cross section standards, required stormwater management criteria for capturing
runoff within the right-of-way, and considerations for establishing target speeds and street tree placement.
Continued effort is needed to complete the Road Code’s range of street design and intersection design
standards that will promote pedestrian and bicyclist access and safety.

The Planning Board will adopt design guidelines for the Plan area that will guide development to improve
pedestrian access, comfort and safety, including:
• building orientation to maximize pedestrian accessibility
• street tree planting
• design treatments for sidewalks and driveways
• street lighting
• signing and marking.

The Plan proposes the CR Zone for much of the Kensington area. This zone is designed to facilitate pedestrian
use, access and safety by requiring:
• pedestrian-oriented activity at street level with uses such as storefront retail and restaurants
• safety-oriented environmental design including clearly marked sidewalks and crosswalks
• street trees providing canopy and landscaping on all streets, including street furniture such as benches, trash
receptacles, and planters
• continuous, direct, and convenient connections to transit stations for pedestrians and bicyclists.

As public and private sector projects are implemented, all agencies need to elevate pedestrian and bicycle
access and safety considerations in their review of design and operational elements, including:
• maximum curb radii of  feet
• signal timing should be evaluated periodically to insure that pedestrians are adequately accommodated
• maximum crosswalk lengths of
 feet between pedestrian refuges
• accessible bus stop locations at or near marked crosswalks
• signing and marking per the Maryland Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, including marked
crosswalks at all approaches to signalized intersections and elimination of lane markings across unsignalized
intersections
• street lighting designed to improve the visibility of pedestrians at levels specified by the Illuminating
Engineering Society of North America
• design of mixed-use streets and pedestrian walkways and alleys using Crime Prevention Through
Environmental Design criteria.

86 Kensington Appendix Appendix 6

. Transportation/Land Use Balance

The Kensington Sector Plan transportation analyses reflect the procedural guidance established by the County
Council’s Growth Policy.

A. Measures of Effectiveness

The analysis of plan development and potential impact upon the transportation network considers three levels
of transportation analysis:

• an area wide mobility analysis that indicates the degree to which any particular local land use and
transportation scenario provides an appropriate balance between land use and transportation network per
current County policies.
• an intersection congestion analysis that indicates the degree to which the Plan's land use and transportation
network affects congestion hot-spots within the Kensington area
• a cordon line analysis demonstrating the relative amount of through traffic vs. local traffic.

The first two measures are elements of the County’s Growth Policy, called Policy Area Mobility Review (PAMR)
and Local Area Transportation Review (LATR), summarized below. Detailed background information on these two
analyses as applied under current policy is available on the Department’s website, www.MontgomeryPlanning.
org.

B. Policy Area Mobility Review

Since the early s, every master plan has considered the balance between land use and transportation using
an assessment of area wide conditions forecast for the plan’s end-state conditions. PAMR is the current measure
of area wide transportation adequacy, introduced into the County Growth Policy in  . It is similar in nature to
the Policy Area Transportation Review measure that was an element of the Growth Policy from  to .

PAMR is used to implement the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) to forecast conditions by
considering the County’s pipeline of approved development and near-term transportation system
improvements for which funding is committed during the next four years.

PAMR continues the County’s long-standing policy that higher levels of roadway congestion are appropriate in
areas with higher quality transit service. This provides multi-modal equity across the County and promotes the
development of pedestrian-oriented, rather than auto-oriented, improvements in Metro Station Policy Areas.

Through PAMR, the County Council has established transit and arterial level of service (LOS) standards for
each policy area by considering area wide adequacy on two scales relative transit mobility and relative arterial
mobility.

Relative transit mobility is based on the Transit/Auto Travel Time level of service concept in the Transportation
Research Board’s  Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual published by the. It is defined as the
relative speed by which journey to work trips can be made by transit, as opposed to by auto. This concept
assigns letter grades to various levels of transit service, so that LOS A conditions exist for transit when a trip can
be made more quickly by transit (including walk-access/drive-access and wait times) than by single-occupant
auto. This LOS A condition exists in the Washington region for certain rail transit trips with short walk times at
both ends of the trip and some bus trips in HOV corridors. LOS F conditions exist when a trip takes more than an
hour longer to make by transit than by single-occupant auto.

Kensington Appendix Appendix 6 87

Relative arterial mobility measures congestion on the County’s arterial roadway network based on the urban
street delay level of service in the Tranportation Research Board’s  Highway Capacity Manual. It measures
congestion by comparing modeled congested speeds to free-flow speeds on arterial roadways. It then assigns
letter grades to the various levels of roadway congestion, with letter A assigned to the best levels of service
and letter F assigned to the worst levels of service. For a trip along an urban street that has a free-flow speed
(generally akin to posted speed) of  miles per hour, LOS A conditions exist when the actual travel speed is at
least  miles per hour, including delays experienced at traffic signals. At the other end of the spectrum, LOS F
conditions exist when the actual travel speed is below  miles per hour.

The Kensington Sector Plan area is located within the Kensington/Wheaton Policy Area. Figure
shows the
forecast Policy Area Mobility Review conditions for all Policy Areas in the County for  assuming the Plan’s
“high” scenario. Figure summarizes the supporting travel data, including vehicle miles of travel (VMT) and
vehicle hours of travel (VHT) for both free-flow and congested conditions. Given the assumptions of the “high”
scenario, the Kensington/Wheaton Policy Area is forecast to operate at:

• Relative Transit Mobility of  percent (LOS E – between  and  percent)

• Relative Arterial Mobility of  percent (LOS D – between  and  percent).

The current Growth Policy requires that all Policy Areas have a relative arterial mobility of at least  percent, or
LOS D conditions, regardless of the level of transit service provided. The PAMR results meet this threshold and
from a policy perspective, the Plan can be considered to be in balance.

Figure
: Forecast () PAMR for Kensington Sector Plan

88 Kensington Appendix Appendix 6

Figure : Policy Area Mobility Review Table-

The assessment of Policy Area conditions in Figures

and reflect the upper bound of the demographic
scenarios tested for Kensington in combination with Round . demographic forecasts for all other areas in the
Washington metropolitan region. Therefore, while the exhibits are appropriately labeled with a horizon year of
, staff does not expect that the full plan yield for any of the Policy Areas will be achieved by the year .

The Plan also recognizes Kensington’s proximity to White Flint and the Wheaton CBD. For that reason, an
additional , employees and , households above the  Round . Cooperative Forecast were
assumed for future development located within the White Flint Sector Plan area—reflecting the Plan’s land use
recommendations. When this Plan and Appendix were written, the Wheaton CBD Plan was not as far along as
White Flint. As a result, future development in the Wheaton area reflected the  Round . Cooperative
Forecast. The difference in trips generated within the Plan area is compared later in this Appendix and shown in
Figure .

C. Local Area Transportation Review (LATR)

The Kensington Sector Plan supports redevelopment into a transit-oriented community with an emphasis on
pedestrian accessibility, connectivity, and safety.

The intersection analysis conducted as part of the Plan applies the Critical Lane Volume (CLV) methodology from
the Planning Department’s Local Area Transportation Review (LATR) guidelines. The CLV values are converted
to a volume-to-capacity measurement, or V/C ratio, by dividing the current or forecasted CLV values by the
applicable congestion standard.

Kensington Appendix Appendix 6 89

As shown in Figure , the County’s Growth Policy establishes acceptable levels of congestion for different
policy areas based on the degree to which alternative modes of transportation are available. In rural policy
areas, where few alternatives to auto transport exist, the congestion standard is , CLV (which equates
to the middle range of LOS D). In Metro Station Policy Areas, where multiple alternatives to auto transport
are provided, the congestion standard is ,. Currently, intersections in the Kensington area as part of the
Wheaton/Kensington Policy Area have a congestion standard of ,
 CLV.

Figure : Intersection Congestion Standards by Policy Area

Figures  and  summarize the congested intersections under both existing conditions and the land use
scenario tested for the draft Plan. Findings follow.

• While not reflected in the table, the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Plyers Mill Road is the fourth
most congested in the County with a current CLV of , —above the Policy Area standard of ,
.
• The intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Plyers Mill Road would experience an estimated CLV of , in
 if Summit Avenue were to be extended. The CLV without the extension is estimated to be over ,.
• The introduction of dynamic lane assignment in the evening peak period—along with the extension of
Summit Avenue—could potentially reduce the CLV to an estimated ,  —slightly below the existing level.

Figure : Intersection Analysis with Summit Avenue Extension

90 Kensington Appendix Appendix 6

Figure : Intersection Analysis with Summit Avenue Extension and Dynamic Lane Assignment at Connecticut
Avenue Southbound to EB Plyers Mill Road

D. Cordon Line Analysis

The cordon line analysis measures total traffic volumes entering or leaving an area.

Vehicular Traffic Volumes

Figure  compares existing and forecast traffic volumes at the studied cordon line. In general, the cordon line
serves as the boundary between the Kensington Plan area, where land uses are proposed to change as a result
of this Plan, and elsewhere in the County, which is subject to other plans and/or is otherwise not forecast to
change development densities from this Plan.

At the cordon line, the total traffic volume will increase by about  percent, from , vehicles per day to
 , vehicles per day. The heaviest volumes will occur on the Connecticut Avenue south of the Plan area,
with more than , vehicles per day.

Kensington Appendix Appendix 6 91

Figure : Sector Plan Cordon Line Traffic Volumes
The traffic volumes are highest during the evening peak hour when the total traffic entering or leaving

Kensington is about , vehicles, of which about  percent is going to or from Kensington and about
 percent is through traffic. Under the Plan’s recommended development scenario (Option K), the locally
generated traffic would increase by about  percent and the through traffic would increase by about three
percent. The relative lack of through traffic growth is influenced in part by the amount of development proposed
for Kensington. As local development increases, the likelihood that someone living or working in White Flint or
Wheaton would travel to Kensington, as opposed to through Kensington, also increases.

Draft Plan Trip Comparison

The Plan’s transportation infrastructure recommendations are based on a comparison of the peak hour trips
generated within the Plan area under existing conditions, under  Round . forecasts modified to reflect
the proposed () White Flint Plan’s recommendations, and under an Option K that reflects the Plan’s
recommended development. The increase attributable to the propsed White Flint Plan is shown in Figure .

92 Kensington Appendix Appendix 6

Figure : Draft Plan Trip Generation Comparison

E. Travel Demand Forecasting Process and Assumptions

The travel demand forecasting process uses three levels of analysis: a regional travel demand model, a cordon
line analysis, and an intersection analysis.

The Department’s regional travel demand forecasting model, TRAVEL/, is used to develop forecast travel
demand results for weekday travel and evening peak periods.

TRAVEL/ is a four-step model, consisting of:

• trip generation: the number of person trips that are generated by given types and densities of land uses
within each Transportation Analysis Zone (TAZ)
• trip distribution: how many person trips generated by each TAZ will travel to each of the other TAZs within
the Washington metropolitan area
• mode split: which mode of travel the person trips will use, including single-occupant auto, multiple-occupant
auto, transit, or a non-motorized mode such as walking or bicycling
• traffic assignment: the roadways that will be used for vehicular travel between TAZs.

The TRAVEL/ model incorporates land use and transportation assumptions for the metropolitan Washington
region, using the same algorithms as applied by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
(MWCOG) for air quality conformity analysis. Figure  shows the relationship of Montgomery County in the
regional travel demand network, featuring the coding of street network characteristics to reflect the general
level of adjacent development density.

Kensington Appendix Appendix 6 93

Figure : Travel Forecasting Network

TRAVEL/ provides system-level results that are used directly to obtain PAMR forecasts for the County’s Policy
Area Transportation Review. The system-level results are also used as inputs to the finer grain analytic tools
described below.

The second level of analysis consists of post processing techniques applied to the TRAVEL/ forecasts, as
described in National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report . These techniques include refining
the morning and evening peak hour forecasts to reflect a finer grain of land use and network assumptions than
included in the regional model, such as the location of local streets and localized travel demand management
assumptions. The NCHRP  analyses are used to produce the cordon line analyses.

The third level of analysis includes intersection congestion, using the Critical Lane Volume (CLV) methodology
described in the Department’s Policy Area Mobility Review/Local Area Transportation Review (PAMR/LATR).
Guidelines

94 Kensington Appendix Appendix 6

Travel/ Forecasting Assumptions

The Kensington Sector Plan forecasts assumed the following background parameters:
• A  horizon year. This is currently the most distant horizon year for which forecast land use and
transportation network development is available.

• Regional growth per the MWCOG Cooperative Forecasting Process, using the most current round of
Cooperative Forecasts.

• For the Washington region, the Round . forecasts include an increase from . million jobs and . million
households in  to . million jobs and . million households in .

• For Montgomery County, the Round . forecasts include an increase from , employees and  ,
households in  to
, employees and , households in . An additional , employees
and , households above the Round . forecast was assumed for development located within the White
Flint Sector Plan area—reflecting that Plan’s current land use recommendations.

• Transportation improvements in the region’s Constrained Long Range Plan (CLRP), a fiscally constrained
transportation network. Notable projects assumed to be in place for the buildout of the Kensington Plan
include:
• eliminating the WMATA turnback at Grosvenor
• the Purple Line between Bethesda and Silver Spring
• the Montrose Parkway East and the CSX grade separation
• the Intercounty Connector
• express toll lanes on I-  from I-  to the City of Frederick

F. Local Area Modeling Process and Assumptions

The Department’s Local Area Modeling (LAM) process uses NCHRP Report  techniques to both convert the
TRAVEL/ system level forecasts to intersection-level forecasts. The LAM process is then used as a pivot-point
technique to reflect changes to the localized land use or transportation network, providing both cordon line and
network analysis results.

The TRAVEL/ model represents the Kensington Plan and surrounding Area as six TAZs. The Kensington LAM
disaggregates the area within the plan overlapping these six TAZs into  subzones based on block groupings
separated by major roads within the Plan area boundary.

The LAM process uses trip generation rates that are customized to reflect both existing conditions and future
changes, considering both the land use types and changes in travel behavior. Figure  shows the trip generation
rates used in the LAM.

Figure : Local Area Model Peak Hour Trip Generation Rates

Land Use Units AM PM

Office (at 30% NADMS) 1000 Square Feet 1.50 1.50
Retail (at 30% NADMS) 1000 Square Feet 0.50 2.00
Industrial (at 30% NADMS) 1000 Square Feet 1.10 1.10
Other Commercial(at 30% NADMS) 1000 Square Feet 1.30 1.30
Single-Family residential Dwelling unit 0.95 1.11
Multifamily residential (garden apartment) Dwelling unit 0.44 0.48

Kensington Appendix Appendix 6 95

These trip generation rates reflect a combination of Local Area Transportation Review rates for development
similar to that envisioned for Kensington and were calibrated to match the observed traffic counts, considering
the amount of through traffic in the roadway network so that the LAM volumes at the network cordon line are
within two percent of observed count data for both morning and evening peak hours.

The trip generation rates shown in Figure  are generally lower than those found in the Institute of
Transportation Engineers (ITE) trip generation report, particularly for commercial land uses. The rates reflect
the fact that ITE rates for most commercial locations do not have the transit availability and usage found in
Kensington. The difference for residential uses is not quite as high because ITE multifamily trip generation rates
do reflect the fact that most multifamily housing units have, almost by definition, sufficient density to support
transit service. Finally, the retail trip generation rates in the Kensington zones also incorporate a discount for
pass-by trips in which the primary origin and destination are elsewhere and for diverted trips that have an origin
and destination elsewhere and during which drivers changes their primary routes.

Land Use Alternatives Tested

Figure  shows the Kensington Policy Area land use alternatives considered for the LAM in the development of
the Kensington Sector Plan.

Figure : Kensington Policy Area Land Use Scenarios

Scenario Commercial SF DU
Existing 1.7m 950
1990 Plan–Low Scenario 2.1m 950
2009 Draft Plan Option K 2.5m 1,500

96 Kensington Appendix Appendix 6

 kensington and vicinity appendix
July 2009

Montgomery County Planning Department

The Maryland-National Capital
Park and Planning Commission

www.MontgomeryPlanning.org
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